Simple Garage Door Repairs You Can Do Yourself
Garage door opener repair can typically be handled by an expert technician. However, if you would like to try to resolve some garage door opener problems yourself, there are some repairs you can do. Here are some of the more common and easiest repairs to do on your own.
Check and Grease the Chain
Most garage door openers operate on a chain and pulley system. Get up on a ladder and inspect the chain. Remove any debris, such as flecks of wood or birds' nests (yes, this can happen!) and clean the chain with a damp cloth (not soaking wet or the chain will rust). Then use a good bike chain oil/grease to grease all of the visible parts of the chain. You may need to lift or lower the garage door before you can grease the parts of the chain that are currently inside the opener.
Check and Move the Tracks Back into Position
The garage door tracks can come out of position making it difficult for your opener to operate smoothly. When the tracks are a little off, the casters on the garage door get jammed up and then the opener cannot open or close the door past that point. Get the tracks even, aligned and unbent (if applicable). Then test your door opener to make sure the door can move up and down in its tracks freely.
Check the Laser Registers
Some garage door openers have built-in safety measures that include laser registers. One small black box produces a fine red laser light, which is received by another black box directly across from it. These laser registers cause your garage door opener to stop or lift the door when the laser beam is interrupted and the door is in operation. If one or both of these register boxes are not aligned with the other, your garage door will refuse to work. Likewise, the laser beam windows should be cleaned regularly so that the laser can be sent and received properly. Make sure these are both aligned at the bottom of the garage door area and then use a soft, lint-free cloth to clean the laser's windows.
Check the Battery in Your Remote
When a garage door opener suddenly stops opening and you are trying to open it from your car with the remote, check the remote's batteries. Modern garage door openers use watch batteries (usually), so you may not even be aware of the fact that it needs a battery. With larger, older remotes it is more obvious that it takes batteries. Either way, check and change the batteries in the remote and test the door again.
To learn more, contact a company like Edison Overhead Door.
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